Testimonies

I misused alcohol as a vehicle for disappearing into the unknown, & avoiding painful aspects of my experience. It was also a way to quiet my relentless self-criticism. The anxiety & depression, were paused very briefly with this toxic escape mechanism, but they would return with even more debilitating strength every time. I tried desperately to monitor dosage amounts & session frequencies, to remain outwardly functional & seemingly healthy, but it was a pointless game of trying to control a medium that only gives illusions, & takes away everything that is real. It is impossible for me to have a...

I grew up in a very active family. My brother, sister and I danced competitively from the age of 5 through high school graduation. Dance was, besides school, the focus of my life. I was at the studio five days a week, with competitions on weekends. When I went to college, I cut back to dancing only once per week in a very relaxed, unchallenging dance club. I NEVER exercised and spent my entire time in the library, often so stressed and anxious that I would oscillate between eating nothing and eating everything in sight. I constantly worried about due...

I am a medically retired Marine Corps Sergeant. I was injured on a deployment in Iraq. I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury, broke L1-L5 in my back, tore both ACLs, broken wrist. From that I dealt with some really dark things. I gained tons of weight, pushed everyone away, came so close to committing suicide. But what pulled me through all this and helped me recover to be stronger then I ever was is Fitness. More specific CrossFit. Now I am inspiring to be a competitive CrossFitter. Here is link to a video that CrossFit HQ did on me. A...

Four years ago I made a decision to stop drinking. I gave my word, one of the most powerful forces in the world, that I would be better. I've used it to pave the way for my future bliss and happiness; to find out what I truly think and feel. 1,460 days of choosing to not take a drink, to continue on this path of becoming stronger than I could have ever imagined. Overcoming addiction is not a linear path. Some days are a bright blue sky, while others are filled with clouds and darkness. I'm not sure if this...

I was arrested for my first ever offense of a DWI. Blowing three times the legal limit. And not remembering the whole process of it. I woke up Saturday in the drunk tank confused, scared, nervous, ashamed and so many more feelings. I was lost. I got booked in. Saw a judge. Made bond. And figured out the process for the first time alone. When I got out of the correctional facility I was given my belongings. My phone left in my truck that was towed the night before. I walked outside the station as if it was the first...